<h1>H-1B fee surge to $100,000 for new applicants rattles markets, drags major IT and conglomerate stocks down</h1> Benchmark equity indices fell after the US President issued a proclamation increasing H-1B visa fees to USD 100,000 for new applicants, prompting investor concern for IT-sector earnings and cross-border hiring costs. Major IT firms and a large conglomerate saw notable stock declines, dragging key domestic indices lower for a second session, while select financials, ports and cement stocks gained. The measure was clarified to apply only to new applicants. Regional Asian markets were mixed, European markets traded lower and US markets had closed higher; foreign institutional investors recorded net purchases on the prior trading day.